


Reunion

by HalloweenBae



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 08:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13314333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalloweenBae/pseuds/HalloweenBae
Summary: Nick drops by for a surprise visit after Gone Baby Gone





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> This was for a precious Anonymous Request. Thank you!!!

Amanda’s stomach dropped to her knees as Nick stood in her doorway, waiting for her to invite him in as if no time had passed at all. The California sun had darkened his skin and reddened his cheeks. His lips were drier than normal this time of year, and his hair had grown into loose curls she didn’t even know he had. Instead of his usual shirt and tie, he wore a well-fitted polo shirt and jeans. His smile was warm, but almost unrecognizable after the years since he’d left. 

“Nick..” was all she could say. She let out a long sigh and crossed her arms in front of her chest. What was he doing here? Why had he come back after all this time? Why hadn’t he come to the station first to see Liv and Fin?

“How’ve you been?” He pressed his lips together and looked her over. “You look good.” 

“You hair’s different.” She stated curtly, raising her eyebrows. 

He couldn’t have chosen a worse time to come and visit her. She was finally over what she felt for him; over the rush he gave her when he looked at her like that. He knew exactly what he was doing every time he flashed her those dark eyes or bit his lower lip.

“Mommy, who’s that?” Jesse’s voice brought her out of her trance and back to reality. 

“Oh no one, honey bear, it’s just one of mommy’s old friends.” She turned around and put her arm on Jesse’s shoulder. 

“Mommy?!” The color left his face. “Mommy?” Nick’s eyes widened, immediately looking down at Jesse. He looked up at Amanda, and then back down at her.

“Yeah, Nick, ‘Mommy’.” Amanda crouched down to Jesse’s level and pointed at Nick. “Can you say ‘Hi Nick’?” She made an exaggerated waving gesture with her hand for Jesse to mimic.

“Hi Mick.” Jesse tried, waving at him for a second before running to her toys. 

“She’s…” He was speechless. All of the sudden he’d forgotten why he had come to see her in the first place. He’d forgotten what he was going to say. 

“She’s beautiful, ain’t she?” Amanda smiled and opened the door wide enough for him to enter. 

“How old is she?” He took his time walking through the hallway as if he hadn’t been there a dozen times before.

“She’s two. Her birthday’s coming up here soon.” She closed the door behind them and locked it; enjoying watching him walk on eggshells that weren’t even his. 

“That would mean that…” He stopped in his tracks and stared at her. “That would make her…” He swallowed hard as he tried not to jump to conclusions. “I didn’t even know you were pregnant.”

Amanda could see the muscles tighten in his neck as he clenched his jaw. As much fun as it was watching him squirm, she couldn’t draw this out any longer. “Relax, Nick. I would have told you.”

“Are you sure?” He looked over as Jesse played with Peppa Pig. “My dark hair could be recessive compared to yours, did you even think about getting a paternity test when you found out?”

“They don’t even advise a paternity test until after the baby’s born, and I was busy dealing with Yates at the time.” She put her hands on her hips.

“Yates? The serial killer who chopped up women like you into tiny little pieces? The one from Chicago?” He walked towards her, pointing at her with an open hand. 

“Yes, Nick, the serial killer. I was doing my job.”

“Doing your job by putting her at risk?” This is the Nick she remembered. Two seconds into a reunion, and he was yelling at her.

“She’s not yours, Nick!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

The door to her apartment swung open, silencing them both. Nick turned his head as the sound of keys jingling rang in his ears. 

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late, the line at the deli was way long, but I got some cannoli for dessert.” Sonny kicked the door shut with his foot as he adjusted the brown grocery bag in his arm. 

Nick rose his eyebrows at Amanda. “This guy?” He pointed at Sonny.

“Nick… wait…” she rushed in front of him, putting her hands on his chest. 

“Amaro, What are you doing here?” Sonny looked at Amanda.

“Carisi...” Nick shook his head, laughing under his breath. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I’m gone for two years, and you’re sleeping with my replacement?”

“Nick, stop.” Amanda stood her ground between them. 

“Listen pal, you’ve been gone for almost three years now, and who she sleeps with is none of your business, okay?” Sonny kept his grip on the grocery bag as he advanced on Nick, pointing a finger at him. 

Nick bypassed Amanda, approaching Sonny. “How long after I left did you wait, Carisi? Did the dust even settle on my desk before you took her to bed? I know you’ve always wanted a big Catholic family and everything, but, I mean, come on, weren’t there any girls at Church for you to…” 

“Don’t bring my faith into this! That’s a new low, even for you. Some of us actually practice what we preach, Amaro.” His face was red, his jugular vein bulging out of his neck. 

“I almost forgot how self-righteous you were, Choir Boy Carisi.” He backed him up against the wall. 

“You don’t get to come here like this. You left.” He took a few steps forward as Amanda took Jesse into her arms. 

“I don’t know what happened in California, but if you want to believe that I’m sleeping with her, or that that’s my child, that’s fine. You come in here like this again? Yelling at Amanda and Jesse? You’re gonna regret it.” His icy cold stare held Nick in his place. 

Nick hadn’t anticipated Carisi being a part of his visit. He hadn’t thought he would be a part of Amanda’s life, let alone buying her groceries and opening her door with his own key. His own key! How long had that been going on? What was he doing with her, if he wasn’t sleeping with her? Was he just lying to stave him off, or was he actually closer to her than he could ever dream of being?

Nick looked over at Amanda and Jesse. Jesse’s bright blue eyes were wide with fear as she looked at him, this new stranger yelling at her Uncle Carisi. He remembered seeing those same eyes in his mother and sister when he was a child. Those eyes that stared blankly as his father intimidated his mother into doing whatever he wanted.

“You’re right.” He looked back at Sonny. “You’re always right, Carisi.” He laughed under his breath again; embarrassed as he almost became the very man he feared. And for what? A kid that wasn’t his? A lover that he chose to leave? An ego broken by a skinny kid from Staten Island?

“I don’t know what I expected… it just wasn’t this.” He finished, putting his hands up. He shot an apologetic glance at Amanda. 

“You need to leave.” Sonny stepped forward, circling around him as he backed toward the door.

“I just wanted to see how you were…”

“NOW.” Sonny walked him up against the door, his back surprising him as it hit the hard wood. 

Nick nodded as he struggled to find the doorknob, his eyes locked onto Sonny’s frigid gaze. He twisted the handle and disappeared into the hallway before he could even attempt to look at Amanda again.

Sonny locked the door and watched Nick leave through the peephole before walking over to Amanda. 

“Are you okay?” Sonny sat the groceries on the table and started taking off his jacket. 

“Yeah.” Amanda smiled, seeing him in a new light. “I am now.”


End file.
